Freeze-Drying
Green Onion
Sorting Aosa Seaweed
and Drying
Sorting Rice and
Preparing Koji
From Sorting To
Preparation of Soybeans
Mixing, Fermentation,
Aging
Production Line
Quality Control,
Tasting Inspection
Sorting Wakame
and Drying
The products waiting for shipment always undergo a physicochemical testing of the ingredients at the Quality Control Section.
"More than 200 inspections are performed every day, not just for the finished product, but also inspections for the delivered rice and soybeans and sampling inspections during the manufacturing process." (Murata)
Various analyses are performed on the samples received from the factory floor to confirm compliance with quality standard values. The samples are rejected if they don't meet those values. The rejected samples are not shipped, and if the product is still in the Fermentation and Aging Process, the results are notified to the factory floor so that adjustments, such as increasing the aging time, can be made.
"We are working with active fermented products, so many times, production does not go as planned. We must be sensitive to perceive even the smallest change, and work to avoid any problems that may occur. Our Department is in charge of all analyses related to quality, so we have a serious responsibility." (Murata)
Since a case of foreign matter contamination was reported at a major fastfood chain, we have received more inquiries regarding foreign matter contamination. We also investigate any defective products that are returned by a customer.
"For example, we can tell in detail whether a piece of film is made of PET resin, a film-based organic substance, or polyethylene using the cutting edge infrared gas analyzer we installed last year." (Murata)
We must also closely inspect the equipment to alleviate our customers' concerns. Our level of quality control increases day by day.
The last stronghold of quality control is the Taste Testing Section.
"Here in this section, human sensors check for slight differences in taste and aroma that cannot be detected by physicochemical testing. If an abnormality is detected, we pinpoint the cause and work to correct it. One time, we found that a product that had a flavor that changed over time. It was the result of an enzyme that caused the dashi stock to break down." (Saito)
A team of six workers who have passed a difficult test (with a pass rate of no more than 5%) that covered five tastes "sweet, sour, salt, umami, bitter", differences in concentration, and food taste, perform more than 150 tests every day, mostly on products waiting for shipment.
"Each sample is confirmed by two or more workers. The expertise that has been accumulated through experience allows us to check the taste with a higher accuracy, so we are training and inspecting every day." (Saito)
The best tool that the taste-testing staff has is their own body. Each member pays special attention to his or her daily health. For example, they practice moderation and avoid eating foods with strong tastes for dinner.
"It's easy for the taste of fermented foods, which are created through the activity of microorganisms, to vary. We try to maintain a set standard in the products we deliver to our customers." (Saito)
We believe that quality is the lifeline of a food manufacturer. Even if we have been supplying outstanding products for a long time, a single mistake can ruin our reputation.
We engage in our work with pride that we have created a "Safe and Trustworthy Brand." We must protect this brand with a strong sense of responsibility.
We hope that a customer who buys our product today will buy our product again tomorrow. We spare no effort to deliver trustworthy products to ensure this.
I think that quality refers to the smile when a customer says, "It's delicious".
We inspect the same product that the customer will eat. That's why we say to each other at the testing site, "It's delicious".
Our mission is to perform the sensory test on the final product and continue to deliver deliciousness to our customers.
